Monday, April 18, 2011
The Dreaded Label
With the Third Wave of Feminism has come the phenomenon of women, who would otherwise be considered feminists, intentionally distancing themselves from that label. I believe that there are several reasons for this. First, is that our generation in general seems to dislike labels. I'm not sure why this is, but I have observed it quite often. A common sentiment is "I don't want labels imposed on me; I don't want to be categorized. I'm just me." I, personally, think labels are fine, to an extent. People have to categorize the world in order to understand it. The second--and stronger--reason I think that modern women are afraid to call themselves feminists is because of the stereotypes associated with feminism. These stereotypes have all been been boiled down into one charming term: feminazi. The man-hating, self-righteous, angry butch woman. Who wants to be that? Not very many people. I have heard very intelligent people express belief in this stereotype when they hear the word "feminist." (Try playing the popular party game "Apples to Apples" and see what associations people make with the feminist card). Where does this come from? Whose fault is it? Some people point to the second wave feminsts. The bra-burning, pantyhose slashing feminsts. Sure, it could be argued that, in some cases, they might have been a little over the top. Even if that's true, were they really bad enough to earn being called nazis? Were they bad enough to demerit a whole movement that seeks only to gain equality? Do strong, intelligent modern women really avoid being called feminists because groups of women finally got angry after centuries of oppression? Shouldn't we be proud of them, instead of shunning them? Many believe that the negative stereotypes associated with feminism came from the politics during the second wave, particularly Reagan-era politics. Reagan worked hard to reinforce the passive, housewife stereotype to make more room for men in the workplace. Reagan's politics urged the criticism of minority movements for trying to take the place of white males. I won't go into details since I've vowed to keep these posts short and therefore readable, but I encourage you to look for yourselves. And if you are a woman who stands up for women's rights and believes men and women should be equal, but who fights against being called a feminist, think about why. Why, exactly, are you against the feminist "label"? What are you trying to avoid by insisting upon not being called a feminist? I think everyone should be feminists. I realize that it's idealistic, but if everyone were feminists, if everyone declared their dedication to the idea of equality, then there would be no need for such a label.
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As a man-hating, self-righteous, angry butch woman, I find the term 'Feminazi' offensive.
ReplyDeleteI think your two reasons are one and the same. I think we don't like "labels" because of the stereotypes associated with those labels. Or we don't like labels because of other people who have identified themselves with that label that we do not want to identify with. I have a love/hate relationship with the label of Christian when so many others out there who use that label give it such a bad stereotype or image, and that isn't who I am. I'm proud to be a Christian, but when people hear me say that, are they associating me with groups who are hateful or people in their lives who have been judgmental and mean, who also called themselves "Christian"? There is a very bad image currently out there with conservative or Republican right now, that I feel like people are sometimes wary that they will be associated with some of the "crazies" out there if they use that label. I didn't even get into the issues with Feminism cause I kind of already went there in your previous post anyway, but that's where I am on the labels and stereotype issue.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of a comment a classmate made in my multiculturalism class. She said that she wants to look at a person as just that, and ignore their race, class, gender, sexual identity, etc. that tends to go along with this notion of being "color-blind". I do think that labels are important, just as identity is important. From a social work perspective, being aware that a client is latina and a women brings along potential historical disadvantages. Now this woman might be doing quite well in the upper-middle class as an accountant (I had a client that fit this description), but being aware of the racism she may experience from day to day, and the discrimination she might experience in the workplace and otherwise, as both a woman and a latina woman, should inform my practice and how i go about assisting her with what she needs. There's a lot of history that goes along with labels that are commonly used. Understanding the oppression that glbtq people face is important when understanding how to help them. Although to respond to an earlier statement, when 80% of the US identifies in some way with Christianity, although there are many people who have particular perceptions of it, the majority of people in the united states fully support your religious beliefs. Now, Islam, not so much. I think that it's important to let people know you are a feminist, or a humanist, or whatever beliefs you might have, if it's something you're passionate about.
ReplyDeleteEarly on in high school, i didn't identify as a feminist. As i learned and explored, i realized how much absolutely everyone that supports equality is a feminist. I think it's about reading and learning and stretching out of your comfort zone. That's not to say that some people, both men and women, are wholeheartedly not feminists. Some people do in fact believe that men have power and rightfully so, and that's fine. (i guess...) but i think that if the average person that scoffs at the idea of feminists as man-hating, self-righteous, and/or butchy", or just in general, that perhaps they need to read up on a bit of feminist theory before brushing if off.
I wear the label "feminist" proudly. However, because many second-wave feminists are lesbians, a term which, historically and unfairly, has carried a negative connotation, it seems that many males "demonized" the term feminist by equating strong females with homosexuals. Was it a conscious power play to deter women from gaining their voices or was it that the average Joe saw masculine, raging women portrayed by the media as the face of the movement? I cannot say. In my life, however, I have experienced several instances in which men have made this association or assumption--as if, somehow, only a lesbian would possibly want equality with men. WHY?
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